The ZIM Atlantic container ship was expected to arrive in Halifax earlier this week, but appears to still be in transit as of Tuesday. The Israeli-owned shipping company has been facing protests in recent weeks for its alleged ties to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Ports, rail lines and ZIM offices have witnessed blockades and demonstrations in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Sydney, Australia as Palestinian supporters have called for a ceasefire in Gaza, where UN estimates the civilian death toll has surpassed 13,000. In recent weeks, ZIM’s chief executive officer, Eli Glickman, said his company would be “constantly assessing” the situation in the war-afflicted region and that its priority would be to “allocate the needed resources to aid Israel in this hard and difficult situation.”
The point of contention is what those resources entail.
In Australia, some pro-Palestine demonstrators claimed that ZIM’s ships were running weapons for the Israeli Defense Force to use—a claim that the shipping company refuted.
“The ships carry all types of Asian consumer products like white goods, textiles and food stuffs,” a ZIM spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. “The ship does not carry any arms shipments.”
In San Francisco on Nov. 17, prime minister Justin Trudeau called for “maximum restraint” from Israel’s army and highlighted a “deep concern” over civilian deaths, adding that “even as we absolutely must see releasing of hostages and a condemnation and justice for the Hamas terrorists, we need to also be moving toward peace and stability in the region, and that means protecting civilian life; it means getting necessary aid and medication and water into Gaza.”
It isn’t yet clear whether the Atlantic’s delay is related to any blockades or logistical issues at other ports. No such blockades have occurred in Halifax—though calls for a ceasefire have grown in recent weeks.
Here’s a look at what else is coming in and out of port this week:
Monday, November 20
How do caterpillars become butterflies? We owe at least some of our understanding of metamorphosis to a German naturalist and illustrator from the mid-1600s. Born in Frankfurt, Marian Sibylla Merian raised silkworms as an early teen and published two volumes on caterpillars by her thirties. She has been credited by no less than David Attenborough with advancing the field of entomology.
It’s fitting, then, that the Germans named their Maria S. Merian research vessel after the naturalist. The ship—which focuses on Arctic research and seabed surveys to document the “physical realities of climate change”—arrived in Halifax Harbour from Rostock, Germany on Monday afternoon. It’s expected to leave Thursday morning.
The Themis vehicle carrier arrived nearly nine days behind schedule from Southampton, UK. It’s currently docked at the CN Autoport, where it’s expected to leave for New York City by Tuesday afternoon.
How about a little sunshine amid the cold? The Tropic Lissette container ship came in from Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, where Tuesday’s high is 29C. The ship left Halifax early Tuesday morning for Palm Beach, Florida.
Remember last week’s “Hermès at home”? Well, it arrived a little later than expected. The CMA CGM Hermes came Monday morning from Tanger Med, Morocco and left early Tuesday for New York City.
Finally, the MSC Sena container ship was scheduled to arrive, but the ship has opted to bypass Halifax and head straight from Sines, Portugal to Montreal.
Tuesday, November 21
The 364-metre-long ONE Grus container ship came in from Norfolk, Virginia. The ship docked at the South End Container Terminal and leaves Wednesday morning for Jebel Ali, UAE.
Elsewhere in the harbour, the Baie St. Paul bulk carrier arrived from Sydney, NS. It berthed at the Gold Bond Canada Port and will leave for Sainte-Catherine, QC by Tuesday evening. Finally, the Harbour Feature oil tanker came from Albany, NY. It leaves next for Nanticoke, ON.
Wednesday, November 22
The GPO Emerald heavy load carrier is coming back to Halifax. The ship—which has been part of the ongoing project to assemble and deliver wind turbines to an offshore project near Martha’s Vineyard—is currently inbound from Rostock, Germany. It left the Warnow River-straddling city on Nov. 7 and will embark on its return leg next Tuesday. (Speaking of that wind turbine project… the Orion crane ship leaves for Boston on Wednesday.)
The Algocanada oil tanker is set to arrive in Halifax from Port Weller, ON. It left the St. Catherines suburb on Nov. 17.
Finally, the Oceanex Sanderling ro-ro/cargo carrier is due in port on Wednesday. The ship makes its weekly circuit from St. John’s, NL and back again.
Thursday, November 23
What comes first: The moon or the stars? In the case of the Augusta Luna and NYK Constellation container ships, it’s the former. The Luna is nearly 20 days behind schedule from Moa, Cuba and due just after 2am, while the Constellation is inbound from Antwerp, Belgium. The latter ship is one week behind schedule and will leave Halifax’s Fairview Cove Terminal for Port Everglades, Florida on Thursday night.
The MSC Alina container ship arrives around 7am from Baltimore, Maryland. It’s slated to dock at the South End Container Terminal and will head next to Saudi Arabia.
Last, but not least, the Acadian oil tanker and Grande Halifax vehicle carrier are both expected to reach the harbour on Thursday. The former is currently docked in Saint John and due for the Irving Oil Terminal, while the latter left Valencia, Spain on Nov. 14.
Friday, November 24
The 261-metre-long ZIM China container ship arrives at the Fairview Cove Terminal around 6:30am. Like the ZIM Atlantic, the ship is inbound from Valencia, Spain, and headed onward to New York City.
Both the Nolhan Ava ro-ro/cargo carrier and Skogafoss container ship are expected to reach Halifax on Friday. The former arrives at the Fairview Cove Terminal from St. Pierre and Miquelon, while the latter will dock at the South End Container Terminal after a northward journey from Portland, Maine.
Finally, the APL Sentosa container ship is due at the South End Container Terminal around 7pm. The ship left Tanger Med, Morocco on Nov. 18.
Saturday, November 25
Things are fairly quiet in Halifax Harbour to start the weekend. Just two ships are due in port: The Vistula Maersk container ship is set to arrive from Montreal, while the Atlantic Sail comes in from Baltimore, Maryland. The former will dock at the South End Container Terminal and then set sail for Bremerhaven, Germany, while the latter is expected to berth at the Fairview Cove Terminal.
Sunday, November 26
The week ends with a pair of car carriers, two container ships and an oil tanker. The SFL Composer and Thermopylae vehicle carriers arrive from Emden, Germany and Southampton, UK, respectively. The former is owned by Bermuda-based SFL Corporation Ltd., while the latter is operated by Norwegian-Swedish shipping line Wallenius Wilhelmsen.
This week’s “most likely to be a Blackbeard-era pirate ship” award goes to the Silver Ginny oil tanker, which arrives in Halifax from New Orleans.
Finally, the ONE Eagle and Tropic Hope container ships are both due at the South End Container Terminal. The former left Suez, Egypt on Nov. 15, while the latter is currently sailing from the US Virgin Islands to Sint Maarten.
